SEO Do's and Don'ts

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimization”. Long story short, it’s a powerful tool that if used properly, puts you or your business at the top of the list when someone searches for something in your industry. If used correctly, it can be the determining factor for your ideal client in choosing you over a competitor.

So let’s talk DO’s and DON’TS!

DO: Know your audience. When it comes to SEO, it’s important that you know the questions that people are asking and what sort of content they’re looking to see in regards to your industry. Knowing how to use SEO properly in terms of search engine results is only half of the equation. You can’t give people what they’re looking for if you don’t know what they’re looking for.

DON’T: Confuse SEO with advertising. Although SEO is a service that many marketing and advertising agencies offer, SEO is not the same as advertising. Advertisements are paid posts to strategic landing pages in order to target specific ideal clients, while the goal of SEO is to organically reach those who are already asking questions.

DO: Encourage readers to share from your website to social media. Sure, we all know that when pages are shared on social media, it increases exposure, but did you know that it can also have a positive influence on how you rank organically in the long run with your SEO?

DON’T: Use hidden texts and links or stuff your website with words. Search engines are smart! The best way to utilize SEO is to either study and learn how or to hire a professional to use it for you or your business. Don’t waste your time trying to outsmart the system. Instead, properly use SEO as the great tool it is.

DO: Make user experience a priority. The goal here is that if someone clicks on your site, you want them to stay on your site as long as possible, since Google is increasingly making user experience weightier on their list of metrics. When utilizing SEO, be sure to think of your reader by not using overly intrusive ads, etc.

DON’T: Neglect your mobile users. Let’s be real here for a moment. Most of us are on our phones for a good portion of the day, and when we are in a pinch and need to look something up, we use our phones to do so. Be sure to keep this in mind! Keep your site mobile-friendly so all of your SEO work doesn’t go to waste.

Sources:

https://moz.com/beginners-guide-to-seo/why-search-engine-marketing-is-necessary

https://www.wordstream.com/blog/ws/2015/04/30/seo-basics

https://developers.google.com/search/docs/beginner/seo-starter-guide#mobile

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